Car-vestibule connection



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. N. THOMPSON. GAR VESTIBULE CONNECTION.

.No. 497,145. Patented May 9, 189B.

WITNESSES.

INVENTOI? I W/Q/W "'If A TTOHNEYS.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W N THOMPSON GAR VESTIBULE- CONNECTION.

Patented May 9, 1893.

INVENTOH ATTORNEYS WITNESSES.

UNKTED STATES 3 PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER N. THOMPSON, OF'ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CAR-YESTIBMULE CONN ECTION.

SPEGIFICATTON forming part of Letters Patent No. 497,145, dated May 9,1893,

Application filed August 17, 1892. Serial 110.443,?24. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER N. THOMPSON, of the city of St. Louis,Missouri, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements inOar-vestibule Oonnections,of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

My invention relates to improvements in;

cinders, dust, or other matter, which may be,

easily attached to the cars, which will in no way interfere with theiraction, and which being elastic will efiect as tight a closure whengoing around a curve as any other i top by flat metallic straps 18 andthese straps point. i

To these ends my invention consists in a flexible connection between thevestibules of cars, the construction of which will be hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a broken side elevation of two connected vestibule carsprovided with my improved connection. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of thesame. Fig. 3 is an end view of a car provided with the improvedconnection. Fig. 4 is an enlarged front elevation of the connection,with a portion of its face broken away to more clearly show theconstruction of the connection. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation on theline 5-5 in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan on the line 6-6 in Fig.5. Fig.

7 is a sectional plan on the line 7-7 in Fig.

4; and Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view of one of the strengtheningspring chains which is used at the upper end of the apparatus.

In the drawings, the cars 10 are provided with vestibules 11 of theusual kind, and these terminate in the usual face plates 12 which formthe frames of the passageway between the vestibule and which extend tothe tops of .gether, as shown at 15,in Fig. 4, and the outer ends of thesprings are also securely attached to a series of parallel andconcentric rods 16 which are bent so as to extend entirely around thepassage 14, and the rods thus serve to stiffen and support the springs.The lower ends of the rods are seen red to horizontal arms 17 whichslide back and forthin the platform of the car, as shown in Fig. 7. Theseveral parallel rods 16 are connected together at the maybearrangedatfrequentintervalsthroughout the entire length of the rod ifdesired,but they are shown at the top as there is greater strain on theapparatus at this point than at any other. The device is alsostrengthened at the top by fiat bars 19, which extend transversely abovethe passage 14 and are secured to opposite side portions of the rods 16,as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

To further guard against any swaying or sagging of the device, chains 20are used, these chains being secured to springs 21 to give them thenecessary elasticity, and the chains and springs are arranged diagonallyat the top of the connection, one end of the spring being firmly fixedto one end of the ing on the platform springbumpers now generally inuse.

By reference to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the bracing chains crosseach other diagonally, and it will be seen that the chains, the straps18, and the rods or bars 19 thoroughly brace and strengthen theconnection but still leave it entirely flexible so that it may becompressed readily and will easily expand when the pressure is removed.

The face of the connection is covered with a heavy layer 23 of rubber,and this enables two abutting connections to make a perfectly tightclosure and it also renders the apparatus noiseless. This is animportant feature, and another important item, in connection with therubber faces, is that they do not become rusty and unsightly as theywould if made of metal. The connection is lined in side and out withelastic cloth 24 which will not fold in plaits but which will be keptsubstantially straight during the varying movements of the connection,the cloth being stretched out tightly when the connection is expandedandcontracted when the connection is compressed. Rubber cloth is wellsuited for this purpose, but any other material may be used which willhave the same effect.

The connection is fastened to the face plates of the vestibule, asdescribed, and when two cars are coupled, the faces 23 of theconnections will register and will be pressed firmly together. This willmake a covered passageway between the vestibules through whichpassengers may safely pass,and alldirt,dust, and other matter will beexcluded.

It will be noticed from the foregoing description that the connection isextremely .fiexible and consequently the faces 23 will remain in closecontact without regard to the oscillations and curves of the train.

In the drawings I have shown a single row of springs upon the face plateof the vestibule, but it will be understood that a number of rows ofsprings may be provided if desired and any suitable form of spring maybe used.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent' 1. The combination with the end of a car, of a seriesof springs secured to the car and extending around the end exit thereof,a plurality of rods secured to the outer ends of the springs, and aflexible rubber face laid upon the rods and springs, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination with the vestibule face plate, of a series of springssecured thereto and extending around the passageway of the vestibule, aplurality of rods secured to the outer ends ofthe springs and havingtheir lower ends secured to sliding arms held in the car platform, crossbraces secured to the rods and springs at the top of the connection,anda flexible face secured to the rods and springs, substantially asdescribed.

3. Inaconnectionofthecharacterdescribed, the combination with thevestibule face plate, of a series of springs arranged around the faceplate, a plurality of rods fastened to the outer ends of the springs,acovering for the springs and rods,suitable bracing straps and barsextending transversely and vertically across the upper portion of theconnection, and bracing chains arranged diagonally between the rods andface plates at the upper portion of the connection, substantially asdescribed.

WALTER N. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

H. O. MEYERS, F. T. ARMSTRONG.

